Custom Search Index Segmentation for User Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current search engines face challenges in efficiently managing and accessing user-specific content alongside general web content, as they often rely on a single search index that may not cater to customized or restricted data, leading to limitations in search performance and user access control.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves creating separate custom search indexes for user-uploaded content, allowing for restricted or unrestricted access based on user authentication, enabling users to upload and index their own content, and permitting searches across both web and custom indexes while maintaining distinct search results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single search index is used to store all web content, then the device complexity is reduced and search operations are simplified, but the adaptability to user-specific content requirements and access control capabilities deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the search index into multiple separate indexes: a general web search index and multiple user-specific custom search indexes. Each user can have their own index containing content from web pages and uploaded documents, allowing tailored search results based on user authentication while maintaining manageable organization through separation rather than a single monolithic structure
2Ease of operation
If a single search index is used for all content, then the ease of operation is improved, but the ability to provide restricted access to user-specific content deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different search indexes based on user authentication status. Authenticated users are directed to their custom search index with restricted access to specific content, while unauthenticated users access the general web search index. This dynamic routing maintains operational simplicity from the user's perspective while enabling sophisticated access control behind the scenes
3Productivity
If user content is integrated into the general web search index, then the search performance for general queries is improved, but the ability to provide customized search results for authenticated users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the search functionality for web content and user-uploaded content into a unified search processing architecture. Both content sources are indexed separately but can be queried together through the search engine, allowing the system to combine results from web pages and custom documents while maintaining the ability to provide customized results to authenticated users through their dedicated custom search indexes
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes an application programming interface, an indexer, a security unit and at least one search engine. The application programming interface uploads user-selected custom content from a first user. The indexer indexes the custom content to produce a first search index. The security unit authenticates a user and the at least one search engine receives a search query from the user, searches the first search index based on the search query, and searches a second search index based on the search query and based on results of the user authentication, where the second search index is different than the first search index.